Keeneland September

6th-Ellis, $45,968, Msw, 7-24, 2yo, f, 5f, :57.06, ft, 6 3/4 lengths. GIRL WITH A DREAM (f, 2, Practical Joke--Henley, by Corinthian) was sent off the 6-5 chalk to open her account at first asking and turned it on through the Ellis stretch to graduate by an imposing margin Saturday afternoon. The $115,000 Keeneland September yearling graduate jumped alertly from an outside gate and pressed the pace through an opening quarter-mile in :22.24. Allowed to stride into the lead with about 2 1/2 furlongs to travel, the chestnut was shaken...

Half Ours (Unbridled's Song--Zing, by Storm Cat), a four-time leading sire in Louisiana, was euthanized Saturday, July 17, following a paddock accident at Clear Creek Stud. He was 18 years old. "It is a sad day for us all," said Clear Creek's Val Murrell. "Half Ours enriched our breeders' program in Louisiana and beyond, having touched many who bred and raced. He was obviously an integral part of Clear Creek Stud's very existence, like a family member that you saw every day. His loss will be felt by many and...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or -conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Hakodate and Kokura Racecourses. A pair of US-breds see action at group level on the turf this weekend, as Lotus Land (Point of Entry) contests the G3 Chukyo Kinen (1800m), while Group 1 winner Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah) tries the...

1st-Belmont, $87,300, Msw, 7-10, 2yo, 6f (off turf), 1:10.70, gd, 2 1/4 lengths. DOCTOR JEFF (c, 2, Street Boss--Wild Bea {SP}, by Wild Rush), entered for main track only, took over favoritism from chief market rival Fort Ticonderoga (War Front) in the final minutes and made 13-10 look like a gift in the Saturday opener from Belmont. Drawn just outside Fort Ticonderoga in gate two, Doctor Jeff was hustled away from stalls by Joel Rosario and cut out the opening couple of furlongs in :22.61 while under light urging. Ridden...

   Two weeks ago, the TDN reported the news that Keeneland would offer a two-day Book One with Day One RNAs offered at the end of Day Two. Tuesday, Keeneland revealed the entire schedule for the sale, including a shift of the dark day from after Book 1 to after Book 2. We checked in with a mix of industry participants to see what their reaction to the schedule changes were.                                       Meg Levy, Bluewater Sales I am very proud of the CBA, and the president, Allaire Ryan, who was...

Keeneland has announced the official daily schedule for its marquee September Yearling Sale, which will begin Monday, Sept. 13 with the first session of a two-day Book 1 opener, a schedule update that was reported in the TDN June 26. Also included in the changes to Book 1's schedule is the ability for sellers to send horses who RNA'd on the first day back through the ring on day two. The sale will start at 1 p.m. for both Book 1 sessions Monday and Tuesday, while the two Book 2...

The Keeneland September Sale will kick off with a new two-day Book 1 format, with RNAs from day one having the opportunity to be offered again at the end of Book 1's day two. "As we come in here with a fresh perspective, we obviously have to try to find the best balance between what works for the seller and what works for the buyer and alleviate the major concerns they both have," said Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. "If we ignore those concerns, we're not doing a...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Hanshin and Tokyo Racecourses. The final Group 1 event of the spring/early summer, the Takarazuka Kinen, is slated for Sunday at Hanshin and is led by its defending champion Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}): Saturday, June 26, 2021 1st-HSN, ¥9,680,000...

As the calendar reaches the midpoint of June and the summer heat starts to rise in the Bluegrass, yearling inspections for the 2021 Keeneland September Sale are well underway. Former bloodstock advisor and consignor Tony Lacy, who was named as Keeneland's Vice President of Sales this April, is in his element as his team travels across Kentucky and beyond, inspecting the many young Thoroughbreds that will soon make up the massive catalog lineup come September. "I grew up a horseman and that's what my family is, so this is really...

2nd-Belmont, $90,000, Msw, 6-12, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:36.94, ft, 2 1/4 lengths. MILES D (c, 3, Curlin--Sound the Trumpets, by Bernardini) made a single visit to the races last season, a well-bet and close-up fourth at Aqueduct Oct. 11, in an event that has turned out to be no ordinary maiden. Next-out 'TDN Rising Star' and Smarty Jones S. winner Caddo River (Hard Spun) was runner-up to Godophin's Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) and a half-length better than Greatest Honour (Tapit), who would go on to annex the GIII Holy Bull S....

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-BEL, $90K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 11:35 a.m. Juvenile colts kick off the festivities on GI Belmont S. day. Trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle three for the big one, and two members of the next generation in here. Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and Gainesway Stable's Wit (Practical Joke) was a $575,000 Keeneland September buy. He is a half brother to the talented Washington-based GSW Barkley (Munnings). Wit's stablemate Keepcalmcarryon (Union Rags) cost $75,000 at the same auction. His dam Lavender Chrissie (Scat Daddy) was...

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo and Tokyo Racecourses, which stage the first juvenile races of the season on the JRA circuit, featuring the first-crop progeny of former US-based American Patriot (War Front) and Drefong (Gio Ponti) in addition members of the lone crop...